Deeply rooted and systemic white supremacy, xeno-racism and discrimination have penetrated the ranks of the Canadian military, according to a new report by º£½ÇÉçÇø political scientist .
“Certain individuals clandestinely engage in supremacist practices and infiltrate the military to gain access to training and resources for a perceived ‘race war,’” writes Knight in the report commissioned by the (DND).
He also found “discriminatory practices embedded within institutional structures” that “favour white, male and Christian identities” rooted in Canada’s colonial legacy.
“Such practices undermine diversity and inclusion initiatives, leaving members of marginalized communities feeling isolated, unwelcome or targeted,” he writes.
Knight produced the 45-page report with a from the defence department’s . He says military leaders were concerned about the degree to which systemic racism has penetrated their ranks and reached out to him for an independent review.
Similar concerns were raised in in 2022. Focused on anti-Indigenous and anti-Black racism, 2SLGBTQ+ prejudice, gender bias and white supremacy, it also underscored the urgent need for reform, says Knight.
The report pointed out that almost 90 per cent of Canadian Armed Forces members identified as white, “creating an environment where supremacist beliefs can flourish.”
That same year, the armed forces received 143 complaints of hateful conduct and xeno-racist attitudes within their ranks, says Knight, adding that even the had a limited ability to identify white supremacists in the forces.
“What was really startling to me was the extent to which some officers in the forces pay lip service to equity, diversity and inclusion — with a kind of a wink and a nod to their underlings — intimating that ‘you have to do this, because the government is forcing us to.’”
Knight says he became increasingly concerned about the prevalence of white supremacists in the armed forces during the Freedom Convoy’s occupation of Ottawa early in 2022, when that some protesters were active members of the military service.
“I could understand former members joining the protests,” he says. “Perhaps they were disillusioned. But we’re talking about people active in the military working against the Canadian state.”
Knight’s report is based on more than 40 interviews with senior, serving, retired and junior military personnel and also draws on academic research, media reports, evidence-based working papers and podcasts.
The toxic culture in the military is in many ways a reflection of divisions in North American culture more widely, he says, with white supremacy as a “significant social issue that affects the core fabric of Canadian society.” He points to extremist groups such as Iron March, Stormfront, 8kun (formerly 8chan) and Diagolon that promote racist views.
“Younger recruits, more adept at navigating online subcultures — including fringe social media, encrypted messaging apps and dark-web sites — can come under the sway of extremist propaganda largely hidden from senior officers’ view,” he says.
Knight says there has been increased interest in his research — and a recognition of its urgency — since the election of U.S. President Donald Trump in November and his stated intention to revoke DEI policies in the American military and elsewhere.
“You can see the writing on the wall,” says Knight. “Even here in Canada, some major companies are starting to walk away from DEI policies, saying they water down meritocracy.”
His key recommendations include:
- strengthening recruitment and screening with more robust vetting protocols and background checks to weed out racism and extremist affiliations early.
- cultural reform to make military culture more inclusive, particularly at leadership levels where white individuals predominantly hold positions. This includes reviewing codes of conduct, disciplinary measures and leadership training.
- zero tolerance for extremism through implementing a clear and enforceable policy to identify, investigate and remove individuals engaging in racist, xenophobic or extremist behaviour, including those in leadership roles.
- increasing independent oversight of the military’s handling of discrimination and extremism cases.
- stronger collaboration with intelligence and law enforcement agencies to track and dismantle extremist networks operating both outside and within the military.
- cultural awareness and education through enhancing social media oversight and delivering in-depth training on cultural awareness, anti-racism and the dangers of extremism.
Knight will meet with DND and Canadian Armed Forces officials in Ottawa later this month to discuss his findings and recommendations. Accompanying his report is a documentary film on the subject, , produced and directed by of 1844 Studios.